KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN

Historical Background
Written by Emilio Jacinto (Utak ng Katipunan) in 1896.
Codified document listing the duties and responsibilities of every Katipunan member
Chose by Bonifacio instead of his “Katungkulang Gagawin ng mga Z. Ll. B.“ (Dekalogo) / “Duties of
the Sons of the People (Decalogue).

Katipunan
July 6, 1892 - Jose Rizal was arrested, three days after the establishment of La Liga Filipina.
July 7, 1892 - The Katipunan was established by Andres Bonifacio in Tondo, Manila, as a result of the
failure of the Reform Movement in Spain.

Kataas-taasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK)

was a revolutionary society that espoused independence and freedom for the Philippines through force
of arms.

Pacto de Sangre - ritual performed upon new recruits who wish to become members of the Katipunan.
it usually starts with a trial and ends with signing of an agreement, using their own blood.

Objectives of Katipunan

a. Political - to fight for Philippine Independence and unite all Filipinos.

b. Moral - to teach the Filipinos good manners, cleanliness, hygiene, fine morals, and how to guard
themselves to religious fanaticisms.
c. Civic - to help themselves and defend the poor oppressed.

THE BRANCHES OF KATIPUNAN

1. Kataastaasang Sangunian (Supreme Council) - the highest body and considered of a president, a
secretary, a treasurer, and a comptroller.
2. Sangguniang Bayan (Provincial Council) - represents the province level.
3. Sangguniang Balangay - represented the municipality or town.
4. Sangguniang Hukuman - responsible for resolving conflicts among the Katipunan members.
5. Camara Secreta (Secret Chamber) - doled out punishment for members who betrayed or broke the
by-laws of the Katipunan.

THE KATIPUNAN MEMBERSHIP

The Triangle Method

THE TRIANGLE METHOD

to keep the whole organization from being discovered, Katipunan employed the triangle method: a
system of enlistment in which a recruiter would ask only two members to join. Only the recruiter would
know the names of both recruits while the recruits would not know each other.

Katipunan Hierarchy

a. Katipon (Member)
password: Anak ng Bayan
wear black hood with a triangle of white ribbon

b. Kawal (Soldier)
password: GomBurZa
wear green hood with a triangle of white lines

c. Bayani (Patriot)
password: Rizal
wear red hood

KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN

1 The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade, if not a
poisonous weed.

2. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.

3. It is rational to be charitable and love one’s fellow creature, and to adjust one’s conduct, acts and words
to what is in itself reasonable.

4. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge, wealth and beauty
are to be understood, but not superiority by nature.

5. The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.

6. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.

7. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost.

8. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field.

9. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.

10. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the children, and if the guide leads to the
precipice, those whom he guides will also go there.

11. Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion who will share with
thee the penalties of life; her (physical) weakness will increase thy interest in her and she will remind thee
of the mother who bore thee and reared thee.
KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN

12. What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and sisters, that do not unto the wife,
children, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor.

13. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is aquiline, and his color white, not
because he is a *priest, a servant of God, nor because of the high prerogative that he enjoys upon earth,
but he is worth most who is a man of proven and real value, who does good, keeps his words, is worthy and
honest; he who does not oppress nor consent to being oppressed, he who loves and cherishes his
fatherland, though he be born in the wilderness and know no tongue but his own.

14. When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed-for sun of Liberty shall rise brilliant over
this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy among the confederated
brethren of the same rays, the lives of those who have gone before, the fatigues and the well-paid
sufferings will remain. If he who desires to enter (the Katipunan) has informed himself of all this and
believes he will be able to perform what will be his duties, he may fill out the application for admission.

MGA GUNITA NG HIMAGSIKAN

Historical Background
Written by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
The first volume of this memoirs was produced between 1928 and 1946
It includes the accounts from his birth and early years until the signing of the Biak-na-Bato Treaty in
1897.
This was based on Aguinaldo’s diary, documents from himself and his relatives.
End of 1963, he decided to publish this memoirs and translated in Tagalog by Dr. Luz C. Bucu of
University of the East in 1967.
Ambeth Ocampo pressumed that the second volume of this memoirs (2nd phase of Philippine
Revolution against Spain until Philippine-American War).

The following contents of “Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan“ were from the sixth chapter of Nick Joaquin’s “A
Question of Heroes.”

Two Major Factions of Katipunan

1. Magdiwang - The Magdiwang was headed by Mariano Alvarez and its headquarter is at Noveleta.
2. Magdalo - The Magdalo was headed by Baldomero Aguinaldo with its headquarter at Cavite el Viejo
(Kawit).

Revolution in Cavite

August 31, 1896

Aguinaldo marched with his army of bolo men to the town center, the guards, unaware of events, were
caught completely by surprise and surrounded immediately. The revolt was a major success for
Aguinaldo and his men. Later that afternoon, they raised the Magdalo flag at the town hall to a large
crowd of people from Kawit.
MAGDIWANG VS MAGDALO

The rivalry between the magdalo and the magdiwang led to a series of defeat because they refuse to
assist each other during battle.

The magdiwang realized this problem and decided to invite Andres Bonifacio to come to Cavite.

December 31, 1896

a meeting was held at Imus to end the conflict between the two factions and to determine the
leadership, but the meeting ended without a resolution to it.

TEJEROS CONVENTION
On March 22, 1897 the Katipuneros elected a new set of officers to replace the Katipunan. Emilio
Aguinaldo was not present because he was engaged in the battle in Pasong Santol, a barrio in Cavite.
When Bonifacio was proclaimed to his new position, Daniel Tirona, a magdalo member, objected
Bonifacio’s position on the grounds that the said position should be held by someone with a lawyer’s
diploma.
The angry Bonifacio demanded a retraction from Tirona, and was about to shoot Tirona when Artemio
Ricarte intervened.
Bonifacio declared that being the Supremo of the Katipunan nullified all what was being taken up and
approved, and walked out with his men.

ACTA DE TEJEROS
On March 23, 1897, Bonifacio and his followers drew up a document called Acta de Tejeros where
they gave the reasons for refusing to accept the results of the convention.

NAIC MILITARY AGREEMENT

The Naic Military Agreement was a document prepared on April 18, 1897 in which a number of
participants in the Tejeros Convention repudiated the convention results.
Soon after, Bonifacio was captured, stood trial, and was sentenced to death by a War Council of
Aguinaldo's government. Aguinaldo initially commuted the sentence to deportation but later reversed
the commutation upon pressure from Pio Del Pilar and other officers.

May 10, 1897

- from his orders, Andres Bonifacio,
together with his brother, Procopio
Bonifacio was executed at the foothills of
Mt. Buntis by Major Lazaro Makapagal.

Mt. Nagpatong
- the main location of the execution of
Andres Bonifacio and his brother,
Procopio Bonifacio.
What was the reason of the Bonifacio brothers’ execution?

Treason and Sedition

The terms “treason” and “sedition” are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different
meanings.
Treason is a federal crime that consists of acts against the government, while sedition is a state
crime that consists of inciting rebellion or violence against the government.

“ACTA DE LA PROCLAMACION DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DEL PUEBLO FILIPINO”

Historical Background
Written by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista
Its intention was to encourage the Filipinos to fight against the Spaniards
It was read during the declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 at Kawit Cavite

Official Unfurling of the Philippine Flag

The Philippine flag was first unfurled in the Battle of Alapan. It was sewed by Doña Marcela Mariño
Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza Agoncillo, and the niece of Jose Rizal, Mrs. Delfina Herbosa de
Natividad.

DECLARATION OF THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE

Reading of the Act of the Declaration of Philippine Independence which was written by Ambrosio
Rianzares Bautista From Dictatorial to Revolutionary Government.
The declaration was signed by 97 Filipinos and an American official, Col. M.L. Johnson.
The text of declaration reminisced the start of 1896 Revolution in Caloocan and the eight provinces
who joined the Katipunan.

MARCHA NACIONAL FILIPINA

Playing of the Marcha Nacional Filipina
formerly Marcha Filipina Magdalo by the San Franciso de Malabon band as the country’s national
anthem.

8 Provinces Who Joined The Revolution

Governor General Ramon Blanco speedily placed the first eight provinces to revolt against the
Spanish colonial rule under the state of war.
Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas.
Verbatim Statement from Emilio Aguinaldo:
Ang puting tatsulok na simbolong nagbibigay-pagkakakilanlan sa bantog na kapisanang “Katipunan,”
na sa pamamagitan ng sanduguan ay nagpasiklab sa pag aalsa ng masa;
ang tatlong bitun na kumakatawan sa tatlong pangunahing isla ng Arkipelago - Luzon, Mindanao, at
Panay kung saan nagsimula ang mapanghimagsik na kapatiran;
ang araw na representasyon ng mga dambuhalang hakbang na isinagawa ng mga anak ng bayan sa
landas ng kaunlaran at kabihasnan;
ang walong sinag na sumisimbolo sa walong probinsya - Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga,
Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, at Batangas na nagdeklara ng digmaan, nang unang masindihan ang
mitsa ng himagsikan;
at ang mga kulay na bughaw, pula, at puti, na lahat ay nagsisilbing paggunita sa watawat ng
Estados Unidos sa Hilagang Amerika, bilang pagpapakita ng malalim na pasasalamat sa Dakilang
Bansa na nagkaloob ng walang pag-iimbot na pagtatangol.

“At sa ganang ito, inihaharap ngayon itong watawat sa mga Ginoong natitipon.”

“ACTA DE LA PROCLAMACION DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DEL PUEBLO FILIPINO”

“Ypinanaog ang Bandera nacional dito sa bahay ng nasirang Dn. Maximo Ynocencio, patungo sa bayan
ng Cauit, o C. Viejo, para proclamahin ang aspiracion ng Yndependencia nitong Sangkapuluang
Katagalugan o Filipinas, oras ng alas cuatro at dalauang minuto ng hapon. Cavite a 12 Junio 1898.”

The document was lost during the pilferage of historical documents in 1990s but finally returned to
National Library in 1994 through historian Milagros Guerrero.